Rotary engine.



No. '720,993- f r PATENTED FEB. 17,' 1903.

' A. D. ALLEN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIUATION FILE!)v SEPT. 11' 1902.

Y c //M wf @ff N l ThE cams Pfrcws en. wcrauwo.. wmmmron. a s.

No. 720,993. PATENTED FEB. 17, 1903.

f Y A.D. ALLEN. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIGATIN FILED SEPT. 11. 19H2.

NO MODEL. SHEETS-SHEET 2.

la I

Lgzgfam.

E Y A Jhfwws UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

ANDERSON D. ALLEN, OF LITTLE COMPTON, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO CORA BELL SEABURY, OF LITTLE COMPTON, RHODE ISLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,993, dated February17, 1 903.

Application filed September 11, 1902. Serial No. 128,014. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ANDERSON D. ALLEN, aI

citizen of the United States, residing at Little Compton, in the countyof Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulRotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates Ato certain improvements in rotary engines, andhas for its principal object to provide an engine having a piston soconstructed as to regulate the quantity of steam admittedto the cylinderin accordance with the speed ofthe engine.

A further object is to provide an improved governing device carried bythe engine-piston and adjustable to cut 01T the admittance of steamafter the engine has attained the desired speed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved formof piston and of the piston-blade mechanism whereby theradially-disposed piston-blades may be kept in close contact with theinner curved walls of the cylinder.

With these and other objects in view the invention consist-s in thenovel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed,illustrated'in the accom pan yin g drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of thestructure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacricing anyof the advantages of the inventicn.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of arotary engine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional elevation of the same on the Aline 2 2 of Fig. l.

The outer casing 5 of the cylinder is ringlike in form and is secured toa suitable base 6. Within the outer casing is `a cylinder 7, having twodiametrically opposed steamchambers 8, while the remaining portion ofthe inner wall of the cylinder fits snugly against the periphery of thepiston. In some cases the outer casing 5 and the cylinder 7 may beformed integral, and the number of steam-chambers may be increased toany de- Sired extent. i

Aannular packing-strips le being introduced between the two to preventthe escape of steam. .The piston l2 is provided with a `number ofradially-disposed cylinders 15- four in the present instance-eachcylinder receiving a rectangular piston 16, connected to aradially-guided piston-blade 1S, the latter being moved from and towardthe center of the piston by introducing steam or other duid underpressure into the small cylinder. The inward movement of thepiston-blades is made positive by contact with the inclinedabutment-walls 19 of the cylinder, and the steam in the smallercylinders is forced out into the arcuate steam-spaces and thence to theexhaust. Extending around each of the cylinders 15 is a U-shapedsteam-passage 20, opening into the steam-space of the main cylinder onopposite sides of the respective pist0n-blades, and the small cylinders15 are placed in communication with the respective steam-passages 2O byports 2l. Ordinarily lthisU-shap'ed passage would permit the direct'flowot' steam around the blades to the exhaust-port, -and to prevent this avalvechamber 22 is formed in each of the passages, s

said valve-chamber having a valve-seat at each end for the reception ofa ball-valve 24, s0 that steam entering from either end of the passage20 will force the ball against one of the valve-seats and prevent thedirect flow of steam in said passage, while permitting the entrance ot'the steam to the port 2l to project the small pistonl and thepiston-blade to which it is secured. To `permit the escape of steam orair from the space between the outer ends of the small cylinders andtheir respective pistons, I employ two escape-passages 28 and 29,disposed one on each side of the piston-blade and extending from theperiphery of the main piston inwardly to the small cylinder. Eachpassage is provided ICU f side of a piston-blade is understeam-pressure, steam enters through that portion ofthe steam-passage 2Oin communication with the pressure-space and forces the ball 24 to thevalve-seat at that end of the valve-chamber farthest from thesteam-engines, preventing the passage of steam directly through thepassage 20, while permitting steam to flow through the port 2l into thecylinder and force the piston and connected piston-blade outwardly intoproper working position. At the same time the steam-pressure will beexerted on one or other of the ball-valves 3l, that valve at thepressure side of the piston-blade being moved to closed position, whilethe opposite valve falls and permits free communication between theouter end of the small cylinder and the exhaust side of thepiston-blade, so that no resistance is offered to the radial outwardmovement of the small piston and its blade. The mechanism will workequally well ineither direction, and as the present engine is providedwith four piston-blades and a corresponding number of small cylindersand pistons for maintaining said blades in operative position I employtwo steamports 40 and two exhaust-ports 41, and the piping connectionswith these ports may be so arranged as to permit the use of either setof ports as steam-supply and the other as eX- haust port.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is toautomatically govern the quantity of steam admitted to the main cylinderin accordance with the speed of travel of the piston, and to this end Iemploy a radiallymovable valve in the form of an arcute plate 42,disposed in a correspondingly-shaped recess 43 in the periphery of themain piston, there being one of such valves arranged adjacent to each ofthe piston -blades The valve 42 is provided with a guiding-stem 44,fitting within a suitable guiding-opening in the piston, and the platemoves in a radial line when the speed of travel of the piston becomesabnormal. Each of the guiding-pins 44 is provided with a lug orprojection 46, against which bears one end of a spring 47, having itsopposite end secured toa xed stud 4S in a recess in the body of thepiston. The spring normally tends to force the pin 44 and the cut-oifvalve 42 inwardly, and the stress of each spring may be regulated to anydesired extent by a screw 50, adapted to a suitable threaded opening inthe periphery of the piston and bearing on the spring. These screws areso arranged that they may be brought opposite the exhaustport 4l shouldit become necessary to change the adjustment without removing the pistonfrom the cylinder. The position of the steam-supply ports with respectto the piston is such that steam can only be admitted to the cylinderswhile the recessed portions 43 of the piston are traveling past saidsteam-ports, and the radial position of the cut-off valve 42 governs theavailable area of said recess and regulates the quantity of steamadmitted. When the speed of rotation is abnormal, the plates 42 aremoved either inwardly or outwardly, the outward movement being under theinfluence of centrifugal force when the speed is increased and servingto lessen the steam area of the recess 43, and this valvep plate maymove outwardly to such an extent as to completely cut offthe supply ofsteam in the event of racing,rwhere the engine is employed for drivingasteamboat-propeller or where the speed of an automobile to which it isconnected increases beyond a desired point, and the speed at which thesteam is entirely cut off may be accurately adj listed byincreasing ordecreasing the stress of the springs 47 through the adjustable screws50. While the engine may be reversed, as in slightly backing anautomobile or boat, its construction is such that the automatic cut-olfvalves will operate in but one direction or that direction in which thepiston normally travels, although this feature may be modified byplacing a similar cut-01T valve on the opposite side of each of theradial blades and providing means for locking one or other set of valvesin inoperative position, while the other will be free to move toautomatically cut off the steam-pressure. Each of the valves 42 is soarranged that the pressure of steam will be about equal on both sides ofthe valve, and for this purpose the small steam-passages 2O and 28 arecontinuedthrough'the valve-plate in order not to interfere with theproper operation of the small blade moving pistons when the valves areat the extreme inward position, as well as to admit the steam betweentheinward face of the valve-plates and the bottom of the recesses as soonas the valve begins to move outwardly at the impulse of centrifugalforce.

The construction of cut-off valve herein described represents the valvein the simplest form; but it will be understood that the inventionconsists, broadly, in the employment of a cut-o device carried by thepiston of an engine and operable by centrifugal force.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a rotaryengine, a cylinder having steam inlet and exhaust ports, a revolublepiston seated within the cylinder, and an automatic cut-od arranged atthe periphery of the piston and movable in one direction by centrifugalforce, said cut-0E forming one wall of the steam-inlet and serving toregulate the quantity of steam admitted to the engine.

2. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, arevoluble piston within the cylinder, said piston having a recess whichwhen brought into alinement with the steam-ports permits the passage ofsteam into the cylinder, and an automatic mechanism controllable by thespeed of travel of the ICO IOS

IIO

piston for regulating the available steam area of said recess.

3. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports,arevoluble piston having a peripheral recess which when brought intoalinement with the steam-ports permits the entrance of steam to thecylinder, and a plate disposed in said recess' and movable in onedirection by a spring and in the opposite direction by centrifugalforce, said plate regulating the available steam area of the recess inaccordance with the speed of travel of the engine.

4:. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having steam inlet and exhaust ports,a revoluble piston having a peripheral recess for permitting theentrance of steam to said cylinder from the port, an arcuate platedisposed in said recess and movable outwardly under the iniiuence ofcentrifugal force to reduce the steam area of the recess as the speed ofthe piston increases, and a spring eecting the inward movement of saidplate when the speed of the piston decreases.

5. In a rotary engine, acylinder having steam inlet and exhaust ports, apiston having a peripheral recess, a radially movable plate fittingwithin said recess and having a guiding-'stem adapted to aguiding-opening in the piston, a spring normally tending to force theplate inwardly toward the center of rotation of the piston, and meansfor adjusting the stress of said spring.

6. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports, apiston having a peripheral recess and provided With a guidingopening, anarcuate plate disposed Within the recess, a pin or stem carried by theplate and adapted to -the guiding-opening of the piston, a springcarried by the piston and having one end bearing on said stem or pin,and an adjustable screvv adapted to a threaded opening in the piston toregulate the stress of the spring.

7. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having steam inlet and exhaust ports,a revoluble piston disposed Within the cylinder, a smallradially-disposed cylinder in said piston, a radially-movable piston insaid cylinder, a piston-blade connected to the radially-movable piston,a steam-passage extending around said small cylinder and incommunication With the steam-space of the main cylinder on both sides ofthe blade, a steam-port leading from said passage into said smallercylinder, a valve operable by steam -pressure from either direction forpreventing the flow of steam from one side of Ythe blade to the other,and valved passages located one on each side of the piston-blade forplacing the outer end of said radial cylinderin communication With thesteam-space of the main cylinder.

S. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a revoluhle piston therein, aradiallylmovable pistonblade, a blade-actuating piston, aradiallydisposed cylinder formed in the main piston for the reception ofsaid blade-actuating piston, a valved steam-passage communicating.

with the inner portion of the radial cylinder and with the steam-spaceof the main cylinder on both sides of the blade, and valved passagesleading from the outer end of said small cylinder on each side of saidblade.

9. In a rotary engine, a ring-like outer casing 5 having open sides orends, a cylindersection 7 fitted Within said casing, a revoluble pistoncomprisingamain revoluble drum and a plurality of radially-movableblades each of a width corresponding to that of the cylinder-section 7,a shaft carrying said piston, side plates bolted to the main cylinderand fitting Within the casing 5 and bearing against both the sides ofthe cylinder-section 7, and bearings for the support of said shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ANDERSON D. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

Conn M. BEALs, SIMON R. ALLEN.

